


Equilibrium

by Bereift



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Magic, Mention of abuse, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-06-11 07:07:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15310077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bereift/pseuds/Bereift
Summary: When a poverty stricken boy meets a young Heiress to the throne of another country, his life changes for the better. However, when Sebastian Mulligan awakens to wield an ancient but powerful magic after an infiltration upon the palace, he comes to realize life had a lot more in store for him than being a bystander in a world on the brink of war.





	1. Grime

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had posted this on Fictionpress, but I use Ao3 more to host what I write. So, I'm putting it here instead.  
> Hope you all enjoy it!

Sebastian was only ten years old when he believed that life on the streets couldn't be that bad compared to his life at home. Once he turned twelve, his older brother, Joshua, had wrapped his fingers around his wrist as they ran from their childhood home was when Sebastian realized that no, it was a lot worse than he thought.

They never lived in the beautiful part of Valun, Palue, but they had never lived in the slums either. Full of trash, questionable bodily fluids, rusted knifes, and drunken sailors. Unsavory dive pubs were every other block, along with brothels, sleazy hotels, and a several houses full members of a infamous gang stayed in one of the larger buildings nearby. The probability of being robbed was incredible high, and Sebastian had learned how to fight shortly after getting stuck living in the streets. It was either fight, or lose whatever you had on you, and he wasn't willing to give up what little he had.

Joshua, his fifteen year old brother with long, vibrant red hair that would be tied up into a pony tail, had grabbed Sebastian's wrist one fateful evening shortly after their father had come home from the pub. Their father was notorious for visiting the speakeasies and returning home at some awful hour in the morning, drunk beyond belief. He was a violent drunk – lashing out against his sons, as well as his wife. The violence had hit its peak that night, and their father stuck their mother down before slicing open her thigh with the sharp edge of a broken beer bottle.

Their father fled into the night after that, leaving their mother bloody and unconscious on the ground. Joshua took it upon himself to heft their mother over his shoulders, and brought her to the local healer. They had taken pity upon the Mulligan family, caring for the brothers when they were ill. Joshua had returned home as quickly as he had left, and Sebastian watched as his older brother shoved several things into a knapsack, before dragging him out into the muggy, summer night.

It had been a little over a year since that day. Sebastian's jet black hair was littered with dirt as he laid on the wooden rooftop of one of the brothels. He had almost been mugged, again, at knife point by an older teenager who had threatened to kill him if Sebastian didn't hand over whatever change after he had frisked a passed out sailor in an alley nearby. The teenager had spotted him doing it, and immediately became interested when Sebastian had pulled out enough change for him and Joshua to stay in a dingy hotel room for the next few nights.

Sebastian had booked it the moment the teen had hollered at him, rushing down an adjacent alley to get away from the older teen. Half way down it, he had to nimbly scale over a linked fence wall that blocked his path. His boots, a dusty black and rugged after a year of being used endlessly to climb up buildings, hit the cobblestone beneath his feet with a loud tap. Sebastian looked over his shoulder to get a better look at the older teen chasing him, whose grip tightened around the sharpened dagger they held in their hand. They had stopped right in their tracks on the other side of the fence, and let out a surprised gasp as they caught sight of his eyes.

"Cat eyes..." They muttered, before scowling. That was the nickname Sebastian had picked up in the back alleys due to his golden colored eyes that reminded many of the feral cats that wandered around Valun. Those that crossed his path in the middle of a fight had claimed he was almost as dangerous as they were when cornered; practically spitting acid and snarling while he raked his fingernails over anyone who got close to him. He would fight dirty – aiming punches or kicks to the face or groin the moment a fight broke out. Sebastian's smaller frame also made it easier to navigate around anyone who tried to pick a fight with him, and he would use it to his advantage. After the deed was done, he would be battered and bruised with nicks on his fore arms and cheeks from knifes. He would only flee if he was outnumbered, or if they got distracted. It was better than ending up dead, although it hurt his pride a little.

Joshua highly frowned upon the amount of trouble Sebastian would get into, but would tend to his wounds with whatever bandages he could afford that day. For the first few months, Sebastian would hobble back to their tiny corner of the slums – a dirty, dead end alley close to the docks. The apartment buildings made of brick beside them provided shelter from the elements, and was also close to a set of docks that Joshua may work at some days. They would sleep against the cold, hard ground, scraping together whatever kind of fabric they could find to use as blankets at night. Joshua didn't make much at his job on the docks, but if he was lucky, he would make enough in a week to feed both of them fresh fruit for a couple of days. Meals were just as rare as showers for both of them, and having a fresh apple to eat was better than the moldy bread behind the dubious restaurants that littered the slums.

Sebastian bolted down the alley, his boots skidding against the stone as he turned on his heel to head in another direction. The teenager was hot on his heels, but was growing tired. They panted heavily, and had stopped to catch their breath for a moment before jogging to keep up with him. Turning another corner, Sebastian spotted a gutter pipe a little above a closed dumpster a short ways away from him. Springing off of his feet, Sebastian landed on the plastic lid of the dumpster noisily, and heard a cat hiss at him from below, abruptly awakening it from its nap.

With another short jump, Sebastian's hands grasped the metal pipe; his fingertips barely holding onto the clinchers that bolted it to the side of the building with rusty nails, and pulled himself up the pipe, onto the wooden roof. His chest heaved as he bent over to have his hands on his knees, gasping for breath as he tried to focus on hearing for the teenager that was chasing him. Straining his ears and desperately ignoring the pounding of his heartbeat within them, he heard the teenage mumbled something about losing him, and their footsteps echoed off of the brick walls as they headed back the way they came.

Slowly, he lowered himself to the ground, laying with his back flat against the splintered wood. Rummaging through his pants pocket, Sebastian could feel the metal coins brush against his fingers, and he let out a sigh of relief. He didn't lose any in the chase, and hopefully Joshua wasn't too mad at him for pick pocketing another sailor. The beefy man had laid passed out in a ditch in the corner of a narrow backstreet behind one of the pubs. It was his mistake for laying unconscious, and Sebastian just took the opportunity that any one else would of, and searched his pockets for anything valuable.

Fully catching his breath, Sebastian slowly rose back onto his feet, and looked over the horizon. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was starting to slowly descend behind the clouds that hung over the ocean. They were incredibly dark clouds, ones that threatened a storm, and soon. Sebastian frowned. He would have to return back to their alleyway before the storm hit, and he hoped that Joshua would already be there when it began.

With his boots squealing as they slid down the pipe and fingers barely holding against the metal tubing, Sebastian headed down towards the dumpster. Treading carefully over the lid as to not knock it over, Sebastian hopped off of the canister and headed back towards his back alley home. He never spotted the teenager that had brandished the sharp, serrated knife at him, and for that, he was thankful.

Sebastian turned a few more corners, humming the tune of a lullaby his mother would sing to him when he was younger. He came to an abrupt halt as his eyes caught sight of a girl, who was no older than him, crouched with her knees tucked close to her chest. Her pristine, sleeveless white dress was dirty and torn at the hems, and her matching stockings were in the same condition. Black mary jane shoes adorned her feet, which were scuffed at the tips with the shiny leather broken at the front. Her hair was a frazzled mess; the long, honey brown locks pulled out of the neat bun on the top of her head. A pearl barrette held back her fringe on the left side of her face, while the right side curled up over her cheeks. Her bright green eyes shimmered with tears, and her cheeks were red and stained with tears.

An older man stood in front of her, a wicked grin on his face as he twisted the other pearl barrette between his large, calloused fingers. Sebastian took a few, light steps closer to investigate, peering around a metal trash can that smelled of decaying fish and piss. "Oi, we got ourselves a lucky catch today!" The man said enthusiastically, and the other men around him cheered in agreement. As Sebastian tread forward, his lips pulled back into a snarl. He knew the man.

The man, who goes by the name of Neil on the street, stood at roughly six feet tall, and is the second in commander to one of the local gangs that prowled the streets. His hair was a disheveled mess that looked more like a birds nest than actual hair, the frizzy strands of blond hair weaving together on his head. His eyes were a muddy brown color that reminded Sebastian of the dirty water that drained down into the sewer below the streets. The other men around him were his lackeys, and Sebastian wasn't concerned about them. Neil was the main threat out of all of them. He was hard to handle when confronted, and wouldn't think twice about stabbing someone and robbing their corpse if it meant he would have an extra bit of coin to his name.

The girl on the floor hiccuped and sniffled, rubbing at her eyes with his tiny fists as she stayed crouched. The men that surrounded her snickered like hyenas, and Neil reached out slowly to grab one of her arms. The girl began to wail in a language Sebastian had never heard before, and he burst into action, springing forward from where he was crouched. He didn't want to know what they would do to the girl, but had a feeling it would be deplorable.

Weaseling his way around the small crowd, Sebastian rushed towards Neil. The man glanced up, and his grin faded as he caught sight of Sebastian. Neil was bent at the waist, at the proper angle for Sebastian to punch him square in the nose; and he staggered back as Sebastian's fist collided with it, releasing the girl to bring his hands to his face as his nose began to bleed profusely.

The girl looked up at Sebastian with wide eyes, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands. Sebastian gave her a small smile, before holding his non bloodied hand out to her. Neil's blood had gotten onto the knuckles of his right hand, and he kept that one close to his chest as it throbbed with pain. He pulled the girl up onto her feet, before pulling on her hand to get her away from the scene. Neil would recover quickly, and would be right on their heels if they didn't start running now.

The girl stumbled a bit as Sebastian hurried them down the alleys, cutting the sharp corners in a desperate attempt to get away from the gang. "Get him and fucking kill him! That fucking kid has caused enough trouble for us!" Neil's voice rang out in anger from a block away, and Sebastian looked over his shoulder and past the girl, seeing some of Neil's lackeys racing after him, daggers in their hands and scowls on their faces. His eyes shot over to the girl for a quick moment, and she was still crying a bit while panting as they ran. Her hand was soft and warm in his, and she held onto with a tight grip. She seemed to be trusting Sebastian as he led her through the streets, away from Neil.

Their footsteps echoed off of the cobblestone of the cramped marketplace of the slums, littered multitude of wooden carts that were slowly rotting away due to the salty, ocean air that wafted through the town. They were quickly approaching a stand that was filled to the brim with apples being moved to a different part of the market, and the elderly man who owned it was raging at the market enforcers who kept their eyes on the deteriorating market like a band of hawks. Several rocks were a handful of feet ahead of Sebastian and the girl, that if they were kicked at the right angle, they could get lodged underneath the the front wheel of the three wheeled cart and possibly topple it over.

Sebastian smirked to himself. He would feel bad for the man that owned it and the other who was pushing it, but if it would lengthen the distance between them and Neil's partners, then it would be worth a shot to try to knock the moving cart over. With another brief look over his shoulder, Sebastian spotted the other men not too far behind them. He wouldn't be able to stop to kick the rock, and Sebastian moved ever so slightly over to the right to align his right foot with one of the closer rocks.

Picking up the pace, he lifted his foot a little higher as he reached the rock, kicking it dead in the center of it. He did stumble a couple of steps a little bit as his toes tingled with pain, and chewed on his inner cheek to hold back the urge of letting out a gasp of pain with each step. The rock skidded across the gravel, coming to a halt by the front wheel of the cart. The enforcer pushing it faltered, noticing it a little too late. The cart toppled forward like a wheelbarrow, and hundreds of ruby red apples skittered across the ground. As they rolled across the gravel, the elderly man screamed out in anger at the enforcer, who just looked on in shock as the last apple tumbled out of the cart with his hands still around the handles of the cart.

Sebastian and the girl had barely skirted around the cart as it fell forward, and the girl giggled lightly while she looked over her shoulder to watch the carnage ensue. Some of Neil's men plummeted to the ground as their feet slid across the now slick ground, while several others slipped as the apples hit the soles of their boots. There was more shouting behind them as the enforcer and Neil's lackeys argued, and Sebastian continued to tug on the girl's hand to turn her attention back to the direction they were running. He brought her down several more alleyways, as far away from the marketplace as possible.

By the time they came to rest, Sebastian was panting heavily, and the girl was doing no better. She was wheezing in breaths with one hand on her knee and the other still clutching his hand. Sebastian had flattened his back against the brick wall of an apartment complex. He had dragged her to the nicer side of Valun, in hopes that Neil wouldn't follow them here. There were too many people to attack a pair of kids in board daylight.

The girl slowly caught her breath, and removed her hand from his to pat the dirt off of her dress with her dirt covered hands, and only ended up making it worse - covering the dress in dark, tiny hand prints. She frowned in disgust at the state of her dress, and looked up at Sebastian with her vivid green eyes. Now that Sebastian got a better look at her, and the adrenaline was slowly working its way out of his bloodstream, he noticed that she was definitely not from the area. Her clothes were too fancy, and a small, white purse hung off of a golden chain on her shoulders, which she kept it close to her body. 

She spoke to Sebastian, and the words sounded incredibly foreign to him. All he could really pick up was a name from her, Ramona. She gave him a quick bow, before glancing around the area they stood in, her brows scrunching upwards. She looked a bit anxious, and Sebastian mulled over her name for a moment.

"Rah-mo-na?" He said, trying to sound it out. The name sounded odd to coming from his mouth. She had said it so fluidly, while his way of saying it sounded more nasally. Ramona stifled a giggle, her hand covering her mouth. Sebastian pointed a finger at himself and flashed a toothy grin at her. "I'm Sebastian." He told her, and Ramona quirked her brow. Her lips moved silently as tried to copy how he said it.

"Sea-bass-chin?" She muttered, and Sebastian chuckled, before shaking his head. He sounded out his name for her once more, and her lips turned into a small pout. "Sah-bass-chen?" Ramona said once more, taking another shot at his name. He nodded in approval, and she gave him a soft smile, repeating his name once more under her breath.

The squawking of seagulls overhead reminded Sebastian that they were at the docks, and he turned his head in the direction of the sound; watching as the birds hovered gently over the sea. The storm was slowly approaching, starting to block out the sun's warm rays. Sebastian's eyes scanned over the docks, and he noticed that nothing was out of the ordinary, save for a massive ship that was docked near them. It was paneled with silver plates with a golden trim that stretched from the bow to the stern. There were two masts upon the deck, both having two sets of cream sails on them. They were tied to the masts currently as the boat rocked against the dock, but the loose ends at the bottom blew gently in the breeze.

Ramona seemed highly interested in it, immediately perking up at its sight. This time, it was her who reached out for him, grabbing a hold of Sebastian's hand to tug him towards the ship. He was a bit confused, but trailed behind her. She had led him to a woman with hair as blonde as wheat, who stood on the dock by the plank that led up to the deck of the boat, her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a long, elegant dress that was a bright azure color. Her dress hugged her features modestly, and pair of low heels were on her dainty feet. Her hazel eyes looked over the assortment of men dressed as knights in front of her, and a few seemed to be trembling as her deadly glare gazed over them. Ramona gripped onto Sebastian's hand a bit harder, before calling out towards them.

The woman's head snapped in their direction, and her steely gaze melted into a soft smile. Her heels clipped against the wooden boards beneath her feet as she reached Ramona, and she cooed at the girl, crouching down to resting her hands onto Ramona's shoulders. They both chattered hastily, and Sebastian couldn't pick up a single word that was said, besides for his name that came from Ramona's mouth. The woman flashed a glance at him, her hazel eyes studied him. The woman grew silent as Ramona tugged at her clothes, still jabbering on with Sebastian's name peppered here and there.

The woman let out a sigh, and she rubbed at her temples with her fingertips. She stood back up at full height, her hands on her hips with a wide smile replacing the frown on her face. "My daughter tells me that you possibly saved her life, and for that, I have to thank you." The woman spoke to Sebastian, whose eyes went wide with shock. She had switched over so elegantly to his native tongue that it took him for surprise. He bowed at his waist at her in curtsy before straightening to speak to her.

"I didn't want her to land into the hands of the gangs around here. They're horrible people. They kill and steal from everyone, and some even steal girls from their homes to sell on the streets. I don't want to think about they would of done to her." He replied, and the woman gave him a motherly smile. She looked him up and down once more, and the corner of her lips twitched into a frown for a brief moment.

"You look as if you are from one of the lower ends of town." The woman noted, and Sebastian rubbed a hand on the back of his neck as he glanced away from the woman. Ramona looked between the two of them, before moving to stand beside Sebastian to grasp at his hand once more. She spoke swiftly to her mother in their tongue, and the woman hummed in thought and rose a hand to her chin. She looked down at Ramona after a moment of silence, and nodded. Sebastian hoped that whatever Ramona said wasn't going to cause him to land into trouble. 

"How about you come with us, to Sherili? It's to the north of here, but we can provide you with a roof over your head and food." The woman asked, snapping Sebastian out of his thoughts. A completely new country to start over in? Somewhere to stay that wasn't the freezing cobble of the backstreets? Sebastian nodded with fervor.

"I would love to. But," Sebastian began, chewing on his bottom lip. "I have an older brother, Joshua. He works here on the docks; red hair tied up with eyes as green as grass, and a pair of glasses. I don't want to leave him behind, so if he can come to, I would appreciate it." Sebastian mentioned. As he finished speaking, he heard someone's footsteps echo off of the plank on the dock, and glanced around the woman to see Joshua, who looked a little worse for wear, frowning at Sebastian. Speak of the devil.

"Sebastian? What are you doing here?" Joshua asked inquisitively, an eyebrow quirked up. Sebastian nodded his head over to Ramona.

"Got caught up in dealing with Neil's trying to take her. We just got out of the mess." He replied, and Joshua let out an annoyed groan, placing a hand on his hip with the other running through his matted hair.

"Gods, again? We're going to die one of these days because of you." Joshua muttered, and Sebastian shrugged, chuckling nervously.

"Well, he did threaten to kill me and sent some guys with daggers after us. Maybe he means it this time?" Sebastian told Joshua, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Joshua rolled his eyes at him, sighing while massaging his brow with two fingers. The woman turned on her heel to glanced between the pair of them, before letting out a light laugh.

"Well, looks like we don't have to find him." Joshua's eyes landed on the woman, and he bristled a bit in surprise before he gave her a polite bow, one hand behind his back as he bent at the waist. His pony tail fell over his shoulder and hung towards the ground.

"Your boat is ready for departure, Queen Artemisia." Joshua told her as he straightened his back, and she smiled sweetly at him. Sebastian's eyebrows shot up in pure shock with his mouth slightly agape as he looked between the woman and Ramona.

"Queen?" He muttered, and the woman nodded, extending her hand out to Sebastian.

"Queen Artemisia of Sherili. You saved my daughter, Ramona, Heiress of Sherili."

Sebastian slowly reached out to shake her hand, which was as soft and warm as Ramona's, who was still holding his. She slowly let go, and began to stroll back towards the ship. She shot several glares at the knights, before ambling up the plank and onto the deck. 

"Come then, we are departing immediately." She told the brothers, her hair blowing in the breeze that began to pick up. "I would like to be North of here before the storm hits!" She ordered in direction to the knights, who began to bring the crates that were lined up next to the boat on board. Sebastian and Joshua shared a glance, and Sebastian shrugged once more and Joshua let out another sigh, but smiled down at his younger brother. Side by side, they trailed behind Ramona, who led them onto the ship. Sebastian had a wide smile on his face as he wandered across the deck, and Joshua rested his arms against the side rails of the boat, looking out at the horizon.

Starting a new life in a new country sounded much better than living in the streets.


	2. Infiltration

The journey to Castardaea was a long and cold one.

The pair of brothers had arrived in Castardaea a month after they had left their hometown upon the royal family ship from Palue to Sherili. They had only docked a handful of times in other ports among the rugged coastline of northern Palue before making the final stretch from the final port town to the town that would be their direct route from the ship to the capital.

Not too long into their trip, the Queen had explained to them that although they were taken in, they were required to work for the royal family to stay. It was a rule for anyone they brought in, and had been since ancient times. The brothers had agreed instantly – they'd rather work for the royal family than live back on the streets any day. 

The first thing Sebastian noticed as he got off of the ship was that it was a lot chiller in Sherili than Palue. It was early spring, and he watched as people shoveled piles of snow to the side to allow people a way to walk through the town. Everyone was wearing thick coats and scarves, tall winter boots, and mittens. Although he too was properly dressed for the colder weather, the biting cold of the air around him broke through the layers. He rubbed his gloved hands against his arms in a desperate attempt to keep himself warm. A glance at Joshua told him that his older brother was doing no better, but held himself together just by allowing his teeth to clack together every so often.

The farther north they traveled, the colder it got. Mountains dotted the sky line off in the distance; scaling so high up that some of the peaks were blocked by the clouds. Sherili seemed gloomier than Palue; the sun always shining upon Palue unless it was the rainy season, which lasted several months of the year. Sherili skies seemed to be covered in a constant layer of clouds, keeping the suns warm rays off of the land. 

It had taken them several days to reach Castardaea. Compared to Valun, the people they interacted with in the seemed a bit...snobbish. But, they were kinder than the people in Valun. They regarded Sebastian and Joshua with curiosity, since not a lot of people traveled to Castardaea just to see the sights, unlike Palue. Most of the residents of Castardaea only saw government representatives from other countries, or the miners that lined the towns close to the mountainsides. 

The castle that the Queen and Ramona lived in was on a much grander scale than either brother expected. Sure, they had seen the parliament buildings in Palue, as Valun was its capital, but this was on a new level for both of them. It was forty stories tall, and two pillars jutted skyward from each of the corners of the concave, marble building. Large, opaque crystal archways greeted anyone heading into the entrance after going through an iron gate that was protected by a set of guards who were dressed and armed for battle. The castle grounds were sparsely decorated at the entrance with only several white rose bushes lining the outer parts of the archways. Larger, red rose bushes were wedged between the walls of the castle and the stairway leading up to the massive double doors that led to the lobby.

The first floor held the lobby, kitchen, dining, and the throne room; along with a door that lead to the center of the palace – where a massive garden laid, stretched out across the castle grounds. Within the lobby was a pair of marble statues of a mage and a human within the center of the room; the mage with a hand raised skyward with a real flame flickering in their palm, while the human held a sword skyward. An opaque staircase – that almost looked as if it was made out of glass – branched towards two balconies behind them, which led to the second floor. There was space behind the staircase that lead to a set of hallways, one that would bring one towards the kitchen and another towards the dining room. Directly behind the staircase was a set of double doors that led to the throne room. The doors were made of a thick wood and were lined with gold. Etched upon the wood was a King and Queen. Their faces were indistinguishable, and their hands were raised at their sides. The King was holding a sword and shield while the Queen held a bouquet of flowers within her hands.

Another door, a bit smaller and not as easily noticeable, was a bit farther down the hallway that led to the dining room. There, one could go in to view the garden. Sebastian and Joshua gasped out in awe when they first laid their eyes open it during their first few hours there. Bushes lined the cobblestone pavement that stretched across the ground, weaving between the flowers planted and trees, which swayed in the gentle breeze that brushed through the area. There were some stone benches throughout the massive area with a tree that provided shade over them. Although it was still early in the year, some of the bushes had berries that were beginning to flower, while others had small buds, waiting to bloom when the time came.

The second floor housed the maid and butler quarters; separated by sex. The men were housed to the right, while the women were housed on the left. The rooms were surprisingly cozy, and each maid or butler they passed greeted them with kindness. Most were carrying trays with snacks and tea on silver platters as they rushed by the brothers to care for all the royals within the palace. They either descended into the lobby to go to the throne room, or upwards to the third floor to care for the Heiress, or any of the guests.

Sebastian and Joshua were each given a butler uniform after being fitted for a uniform, and were also given keys to their own room, which they would share. They would not begin to serve until their third day in the castle, after meeting all the staff. The Head Butler had stopped by to meet his new employees. He was an elderly man with long wisps of grey hair that cascaded down his back and his fringe slicked back. His long beard was braided masterfully, the tail ending at his chest.

He wore the regular attire of all the butlers – which was a button up, long sleeved white shirt that had the cuffs buttoned at the end, with a black vest over it. He wore black, fitted slacks, and a pair of recently shined, black dress shoes adorned his feet. There was a long, thin scar that trailed from his upper cheek down to his chin on the right side of his face, and his chocolate eyes shined with kindness, although his expression showed how stern he was upon others.

At that moment, the language barrier between Palue and Sherili became known. Joshua knew short phrases and the basics in Sherilian, but Sebastian didn't know any at all. As the butler introduced himself as Deinos to the brothers and requested their names, the brothers blinked in confusion at him. Ramona had piped up to tell Deinos about the brothers, who was listening intently. He was surprised to learn of where they were from, and his lips quirked upwards into a rare smile. The brothers came to learn in time that he too was from Valun, Palue, and had quite a story to tell as to how he ended up in Castardaea.

The third floor held the royal family quarters. The Queen and King slept there in their own chambers, while Ramona had her own room on the other side of the floor. The rest of the royal family that visited could reside in the multitude of royal suites there when they visited, and the men and women who resided in the court could also make use of it if they so wished. When the Queen and Ramona introduced the boys on their first day to whomever was lodging there currently, they received looks of bewilderment. Many were confused as to why the Queen took in a pair of boys from the slums of Valun, but none dared to question her outright. Sebastian heard their whispers when he traversed that halls at night as he grew older, and some of them were still full of venom over it, several years after the fact. Some of the women, many who had children back in their own mansions that were throughout the country, were concerned that Queen Artemisia only did it to use one of the brothers as a suitor for Ramona once she grew older. Sebastian would slip away as quickly as he came at those points, not wanting to hear their spats over whose son should become King next, once Ramona was old enough to marry.

The fourth floor consisted of just a massive library. Bookcases were lined up from one side of the wall to the other with books lined in alphabetical order. One could find any subject they wanted within – from something as simple as learning how to cook and sew, to the politics of all the countries that spanned the globe, as well as the history of each. Massive windows scaled from the top of the dome ceiling and down to the floor offered a wonderful view of the town, and Sebastian found himself up there to gaze over the buildings on his days off.

It was also there that Ramona taught Sebastian how to speak, read, and write in Sherilian.

As they grew older, it was apparent that the pair of teens were quite fond of each other. After Sebastian had saved Ramona from the gang back in Valun, she stuck close to him. In return for saving her, Ramona had taught him the language she spoke. Sebastian had picked up on it quickly; able to hold conversations with others and read well enough to understand the books on the shelves in the library. He did have some trouble with specific phrases and didn't pick up on some idioms, but Ramona wasn't expecting perfection. It wasn't his first language, after all. 

They grew to become friends, both of them originally bonding over an interest in the music arts. Sebastian knew a bit of piano due to his mother, and Ramona knew how to play the violin. On days when she didn’t bring her Violin, Ramona would practice her singing as Sebastian practiced learning more songs.

Other than that, Ramona liked Sebastian's calm and nonjudgmental attitude, as it gave her a break from all of her duties as the Heiress, and allowed her to be herself in his presence without fear of being judged harshly by her royal peers. Sebastian enjoyed listening to Ramona ramble, as well as answering her questions about Valun. She had never visited anywhere other than Sherili, and after the attempted kidnapping, she didn't fancy going back any time soon. However, she was very knowledgeable in the history of the different countries, and Sebastian could listen to her ramble for hours without thinking much into it.

Working with Deinos had whipped both the brothers into shape when it came to handling food and speaking to the royal family as they worked with them. Joshua quickly rose in the ranks as a butler, and Sebastian preferred to stay a bit lower on scale; not wanting too much responsibility at such a young age. Honorifics were taught, the hierarchy of each member was explained, and expectations were met. Respect the King and Queen to the highest extent. Respect the pair of Royal Guards that watched over the Monarchs, as well as Ramona.

The Royal Guards double as personal butlers for the royal family. Cael and Leon were their names, and both of them were men in their early forties. Cael watched over the King and Queen like a hawk, overseeing them as their own personal guard. His thick but short, brown hair framed his face, and his moss colored eyes seemed to always been scanning the area around him for a threat. He was usually seen wearing his own version of the butler outfit at all times of the day, which was just a black button up instead of a white one with a deep purple vest, and a short sword strapped to his hip. Several medals were clipped to his breast, which stated his rank between the servants, as well as noting him as the highest ranking guard in the entire palace. Cael was just as imposing and commanding as Deinos, and Sebastian came to respect the older man, as well as look up to him.

Leon, on the other hand, was Ramona's personal guard. He was a bit on the goofy side, always trying to make her smile and lighten the mood when it was somber throughout the castle. Well liked between all the guards and the servants, Leon was rarely seen with a frown on his face. His black hair was braided into a fishtail that hung over one shoulder, tied together by a red ribbon at the end. He had laugh lines along his mouth and in the corners of his grey eyes, which glinted with a hint of mischief. Leon also wore his own version of the butler uniform; an azure blue vest instead of the black ones that all the rest wore. He too had several medals that announced his ranking between the servants and the guards, which was the Second in Command to the guards, as well as the servants. He only listened to the monarchy and Cael, with Cael being his superior.

A couple of years had passed by quickly before Sebastian eyes, and before he knew it, he was fifteen years old. It had been two years since he and his older brother had left Valun with Queen Artemisia and Heiress Ramona. Not much had happened in that time, other than he and his brother learning Sherilian, and the Queen gave birth to another daughter – Gwendolyn. She was smaller than anyone had expected, but her screaming proved that she was a strong child. She looked more like the King than the Queen with her dark auburn hair and bright blue eyes. Ramona liked to dote on her younger sibling, even though they were fourteen years apart.

As another day slowly winded to a close, Sebastian flopped down onto his bed, leaning back onto his hands. He was exhausted from rushing around the palace to ensure that everything was as it should be. The King had hosted a grand scale ball for Gwendolyn's first birthday, inviting anyone and everyone who could come to join in the festivities. It felt as if most of Castardaea had shown up; dancing away the cold night, as well as showering gifts upon the young princess. Sebastian lost count of how many platters of food he had gone through, and he was sure he had at least three drinks spilled on him at some point in the night. 

Curious, he tilted his head down and pinched at his button up, raising it close to his nose. One whiff told him that yes, someone had definitely spilled something on him. It reeked of alcohol, and Sebastian released his shirt, letting it rest against his skin once more as he let out a small grumble of disgust. He had been relived of his duties, and all he wanted was to shower and sleep. Desperately.  
Pushing himself off of his bed, Sebastian wandered towards the door to leave the room he shared with Joshua. As the palm of his hand came to rest on the knob, a piercing shriek punctured the air from beyond the door as the sound of glass shattering echoed. The music from the ball below came to a screeching halt. An eerie silence followed for a brief moment, before terrified screams rung through the air. 

Sebastian flung the door upon and rushed out of his room, heading back towards the staircase to the lobby. Petrified citizens were rushing up the steps and onto the second floor, and Sebastian could make out several of the maids and butlers following the herd as they moved higher up the castle.

"Move! Get upstairs!" Cael's voice boomed over the screams. Sebastian's eyes scanned over the crowd, and he spotted the brown haired man with his sword out in one hand, while directing people upstairs with the other. He hurried over towards Cael, pushing his way through the sea of people as they hurried for safety. As Sebastian approached the man, Cael whipped his head in Sebastian's direction, a scowl on his face.

"Get upstairs! It's dangerous down here!" Cael demanded, and Sebastian looked down the steps, and all he could see was darkness. Something had put out the candles below, and from the bits of knowledge Sebastian had on magic after reading several books in the library, it must have been negation magic. The candles wouldn't go out unless a mage willed it. Out of everyone in the castle, only a handful of people were mages, and they didn't seem like the kind of people to cause such a wide scale panic in the palace. Sebastian shot a quick glance at Cael, then back down into the murky darkness below.

"Have you found Ramona and Joshua?" Sebastian shouted over the crowd, and Cael faltered for a moment. His scowl dropped into a tight lipped frown, and his eyes lowered towards the ground.

"I have not. Something crashed through the windows from the garden. The candles went out in an instant, and I have been guiding people to the best of my ability." Cael told Sebastian as the crowd rushed around them. The teen stared at the older man for a brief moment, before pushing his way through the crowd once more as he went down the steps. He could barely hear Cael screaming at him to get back upstairs as he descended into the inky darkness of the lobby, determined to find the pair of them.


	3. Awakening

Sebastian couldn't see a thing as he descended into the lobby. 

The moonlight that typically shined in through the massive windows in lobby were blocked as well, save for where the intruder had crashed through one and into the ball. Broken pieces of glass littered the ground while the curtain of the shattered window swayed in the breeze that came in through the lobby. The light that filtered in through the broken window made the glass glisten gently, catching his eye more than once. Soft footsteps of people rushed by him - a few bumping into him - as they followed Cael's voice towards the stairs. Some seemed to be very frightened, and for a good reason. Sherili has been a peaceful country for the past century, and none held any ill will against the royal family.

Although he wanted to join Cael in bring the guests up towards safety, Sebastian had an odd feeling that ascending higher into the castle wouldn't be a good idea. Whomever crashed into the ball would follow everyone upstairs if they wanted to do harm, and then they would all be cornered like animals while waiting to be slaughtered. Straining his ears, he listened closely to the noises around him. From what he could gather, the rest of the citizens had just finished hurrying up the stairs, leaving the lobby empty. The silence would of been deafening, except Cael's booming voice from above as he barked out orders to the guards. He hollered to them to not let anything up the stairs, and to keep an eye out for Ramona and Sebastian. Sebastian knew he was going to get in trouble later for disobeying his orders, but he had a friend and his brother to find.

Relying on his memory of the floor plan, Sebastian headed towards the statue in the center. With a hand outstretched in front of him, he slowly walked forward until the cool marble of the statue brushed over his fingertips. Now, he knew where he was in proximity to everything else. He would need to head to his right to the closest set of curtains, and draw them back to shed some light on the area. It would make him a target for the intruder, if he wasn't one already, but it would help him in his search.

Swiftly and as quietly as he could muster, Sebastian crossed over towards the windows, trying not to make a sound. He didn't want to find out who or what had crashed through the windows the hard way. He just wanted to find Ramona and Joshua, hopefully together, and to get out of the lobby. The silence in the room was growing more uncanny by the moment, and it did put him on a bit of an edge. As he slowly trudged across the carpet, he focused on honing in on any little sound he heard. The shuffle of footsteps upstairs told him that the guards were on the move. Several clinks of armor as the guards at the top of the staircase adjusted their weapons as they waited patiently to catch sight of any of them. The drapes shuffling lightly in the breeze from the wind whistling through the cracks.

A sudden, tiny sniffle alerted him a moment too late. Sebastian stumbled as he reached the window, tripping over a pair of extended legs. The ground was somewhat slick, and he shot his hands out to grasp at the fabric of the curtains. They slid open as Sebastian fumbled to catch his footing as he clutched onto the smooth silk; his knees grazing against the ground as he fell. Clutching the curtains in a death grip, Sebastian glanced down and spotted Ramona, whom was sitting on the ground. There was a gash that had cut through the bottom of her bright, baby blue dress and up her thigh. The blood was on the floor must of been hers, mixing with the liquid and broken glass of whatever she was drinking before she fell. The brilliant light of the moon shone upon her, casting her in a pale light. Her brown hair turned into a light blonde in the light, and Ramona looked up at Sebastian with tears welling up in her eyes.

"S-sebastian?" She muttered. One hand was putting pressure onto her wound as the other was held close to her chest. She look a bit distressed, and judging by the cut on her thigh, in quite a bit of pain.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked quietly, pulling himself to stand onto his feet while using the curtains as leverage. He then held a hand out to Ramona, and her eyes flicked between his outstretched hand and her wound. Sebastian gave her a soft smile, keeping his hand outstretched. "You're not going to be able to walk well. Take my hand and let us get you out of here."

With a small, but firm nod, Ramona reached out to grab Sebastian's hand. He hoisted her up onto her feet, and she staggered before leaning against him for support. Ramona grimaced and her brows scrunching upwards as she put more weight upon her leg that wasn't injured. She chewed on her lower lip as she leaned against Sebastian's side, an arm around his waist with her fingers digging into his vest as she waddled alongside him. He had an arm around her shoulders and kept her close, heading back towards the statue before they headed back towards the stairs.

"I'm sorry about this." Ramona mumbled, before hissing in a breath. Sebastian looked over his shoulder, still focused on listening for any new sounds. Nothing had changed, and the guards were silent, as well as Cael. His voice wasn't booming out commands anymore. Odd. He turned to focus on the area in front of him with what little light they did have.

"It is fine. I'm more concerned about your health than anything else right now." Sebastian wasn't lying either – that wound on her thigh was a growing concern for him. It could easily become infected, and finding a healer may be simple, but curing an infection was not. Healing magic could stitch together wounds, but could not cure infections caused by dirt or debris. "I have to find Joshua once I get you back upstairs. Have you seen him?" Sebastian inquired. Ramona hummed in thought for a moment.

"Sadly, I have not. He may of gotten upstairs before you had descended down?"

"And slip by without Cael noticing him? That doesn't sound very likely."

They both quieted down after that. Ramona focused on her breathing as she clutched at Sebastian's side, while he worked on hobbling them closer towards the stairs. It was a slow process at this rate, and the longer they stayed out in the open, the more unsettled Sebastian became. There was barely a peep in the palace, and the only noise he could hear was Ramona's shallow breathing.

A quick scuttle snapped both of them to attention. Sebastian looked over his shoulder to see a dagger flash in the moonlight, and he pulled Ramona even closer to him. She gasped in shock as she was crushed flat against his chest. He deftly tossed her over his shoulder. Her feet dangled off the floor, dragging her dress upwards in the process as his arm wrapped around the back of her thighs to keep her steady. Ramona's legs flailed wildly as she screamed in surprise, and Sebastian grit his teeth as her knees dug deeper into his ribs each time she moved. She was resting against him at an odd angle now; her fingers gripped firmly into his black vest, which Ramona had hoisted upwards when Sebastian lifted her. The cold draft hit his back, cutting through the thin layer of his shirt.

All Sebastian saw was the dagger being hastily swung at them, gleaming faintly in the light and getting closer each time he stepped back from each swipe. He couldn't get a good look at whomever held the dagger and he couldn't let Ramona get any more hurt than she already was. However, she slowly growing to be a liability as she struggled in his grasp, kicking and screaming. Taking several long strides back, Sebastian's feet hit the bottom step of the staircase. He spun on his heel to put her down upon the floor, and Ramona ceased shouting the moment he placed her down upon the marble steps.

Sebastian turned back around and took a step forward, letting instinct take over. The dagger flashed as it was swung downward as the person tried to cut into his shoulder. He side stepped and pulled his arm back, before thrusting forward with the bottom of his palm towards the intruder. It struck where he hoped it would - directly into their nose. A strangled cry of surprise echoed through the lobby, and several of the candles flickered back on by the entrance. The sound that came from the intruder told Sebastian it was a man that was attacking him, and a grunt came from them as they slashed out with the dagger at him again. The blade clipped his vest, ripping through the fabric like a hot knife through butter and Sebastian felt heat radiate from the blade. His eyes flickered downwards, and he held back a gasp.

The blade was on fire. This person was a mage.

Sebastian swung out at them once more, eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. They ducked, then jutted the knife out at Sebastian, the flames engulfing the end of his vest. Patting wildly at the flames, Sebastian stumbling back as he tried to put out the fire. He had grown rusty since he left Valun; unconcerned with being attacked while in the safety of the palace walls, but he would sometimes join the guards for their morning exercises to stay fit.

The embers burned the skin of his hands as he hastily put it out, and Sebastian winced as he clenched his hands into fists to swing at the mage. He never came across any mages while in the streets of Valun, and had no idea how to fight against them. He had heard stories in passing that they were not easy to fight either, using magic to their advantage against those that could not.

The man snickered at Sebastian, lashing out with the enchanted blade. Sebastian swung a fist out once more, and even tried tripping the man he was fighting with. Although he was able to land several punches, he was only able to trip the enemy once and before he could slam his foot down upon their chest to stop them from moving, the man had rolled across the tile and out of the way. This caught Sebastian off guard. The man was quicker than he anticipated, and he had jumped back up onto his feet before jabbing the pommel of the dagger into Sebastian's nose. He yelped out in pain, his eyes screwing shut as he stumbled backwards with his hands shooting up to his cover his face. Warm blood poured from his nose, and Sebastian sputtered to get the blood seeping from his nostrils out of his mouth.

The mage roughly his shoulder and poised the blade to plunge directly his chest. In an instant, Sebastian became hyper vigilant of his surroundings. Ramona's piercing scream from the staircase. The thundering footsteps of the guards as they raced down the staircase filled his ears, barely audible over his heart. The man in front of him chuckled darkly as he thrust the blade out, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

Sebastian's heart was pounding in his chest, but his breathing evened out. The taste of iron was on his tongue from his blood dribbling over his lips and trickled into his mouth. He pulled his bloody hands off of his face, and thrust them in front of him in a desperate act to shove the man away to stop the blade from sinking into his chest.

At that moment, time slowed down around them.

Realizing that the blade had not pierced his skin, Sebastian slowly cracked his eyes. He blinked several times as he adjusted to the light that had filled the room. The candles had lit back up once more, bathing the lobby in its regular, evening glow. The man that had attacked them was still gripping his shoulder, but his hand was trembling with his eyes wide and glued on Sebastian. Within a matter of seconds, something had stopped him.

Sebastian tilted his head down to look at the dagger, which was level with his chest and several inches away from stabbing him with the flames still flickering around the metal blade. A brilliant, crimson sigil in the shape of gear was on the floor below the mans feet. Strands of magic were snaked around the man's arms and legs, holding him in place. The sigil on the ground was slowly turning clockwise, and Sebastian could hear the ticktocks of a clock in his ears. He gazed back up at the man, their brown eyes glinting with fear as he stared at him.

The guard's came to a halt at the bottom of the staircase, and a murmur went through the group. Cael stormed down the stairs and pushed his way through the throng, irate. His shoulders were hunched up and his hands were curled into fists at his side. However, his anger had dissipated the moment he laid eyes on the scene laid before him and he came to a stop at the head of his guards. Ramona was resting on the staircase, her tears staining her cheeks from the pain that throbbed through her leg with her eyes glued on the scene before her. Her non bloodied hand was covering her mouth , and her brows were high upon her forehead. Some of the guards had taken up arms around her, their weapons drawn in the direction of Sebastian and the intruder. Cael took several cautious steps towards Sebastian, whose eyes flickered between Cael and the sigil on the ground, before resting on his outstretch hands. Swallowing down the lump in his throat as Cael stepped closer, Sebastian just watched as the Head of the Royal Guard approached both of them slowly. Cael glanced down at the sigil and studied it for a moment, a finger on his chin. His eyes softened, and a small smile came upon his lips.

"Ah. It all makes sense now." Cael mumbled to himself, and Sebastian quirked a brow up at him. The intruder then began to struggle against his binds, and the dagger slipped from his grasp and fell towards the ground. It clattered loudly against the floor and it snapped everyone out of their trance. Several guards stepped forward from Ramona and sheathed their weapons, moving to pry the man's fingers off of Sebastian's shoulders. They had to jerk him away as he fought against their hold, trying to get a grip once again on Sebastian. The sigil faded out of existence, and the magic binding the man's arms dissipated, allowing him to move once again. He struggled with the guards, and they had to grip him by his forearms to prevent him from trying to fight them. He was muttering out nonsense as the guards dragged him away, possibly down to the lower basement where the royal family would keep prisoners of war in the ancient past. Cael eyes watched as the guards took the man away, before looking over at Sebastian.

"You're a mage, and no ordinary one at that, Sebastian." Cael said, crossing his hands over his chest. Sebastian rubbed his hand over where the man had gripped him on his shoulder. It throbbed with pain from how tight the intruders grip was upon him, and it stung a bit. He'd probably have a bruise there later. Wiping the blood off of his face with the back of his sleeve, Sebastian glanced up at Cael, before down at the sleeve of his shirt, now dyed a crimson color from his blood. He turned his gaze upwards to see as Ramona was helped up onto her feet by the guards and whisked away upstairs. Artemisia's sob of happiness rang out as she followed right behind her daughter, and Theodore was fretting over her, knowing that both of his daughters were safe. Sebastian briefly glanced to the right of the royal family, and spotted Joshua, who stood near the top of the staircase. Joshua gave him a small wave, and Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. Joshua must of fled upstairs after he descended down the steps. He was so focused on finding both of them that he barely paid any attention to whomever was rushing up the steps at the time. Sebastian turned his attention back to Cael.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian questioned Cael. Mages may be rare, and neither he nor Joshua knew much about them. Sebastian only knew what he had read in the books of the royal library, and even they didn't state too much. Cael's wistful smile widened.

"You're a Disciple. The Disciple of Time."


End file.
